Whiskey Lullaby
by AshParnell
Summary: Greatly inspired by the song 'Whiskey Lullaby' by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss. A sadtragic song hence the tragedyangst. The T rating is for violence and death. If you've heard the song, you know what's going to happen. It's not going to be pretty.
1. Chapter 1: Elmer

"She put him out, like the burning end of a midnight cigarette…"

Whiskey Lullaby

* * *

Elmer stood in the elevator waiting. Waiting for the elevator to reach the basement. Waiting for the doors to open. Waiting to see Lona. In his hand he held a perfect red rose. He had wanted a white rose, but after 30 minutes of looking through the white roses, he realized there wasn't a 'perfect' white rose and he had to switch to the red roses. 

It took over an hour to find a perfect rose, but for Lona, it had to be perfect. For Lona he would have spent all afternoon looking for a perfect rose. Anything less than perfect would not have been good enough. Especially after the incident with his last gift. Best not to think about that.

"Finally," Elmer said to himself as the elevator doors opened. He started walking down the corridor toward the sleep lab. Hopefully Lona would be in and he could give her the rose and tell her he had an idea for a new experiment and since it was so late they should talk about it over dinner.

Hopefully that wouldn't sound stupid or desperate. It seemed no matter what he said, it always sounded stupid, or desperate, or worse. Maybe this time he could pull it off and she'd say she'd love to go to dinner with him; but she'd probably say no.

He reached the sleep lab and carefully grasped the handle, slowly opening the door so as not to make any noise in case there was an experiment going on. That would be the last thing he needed. She'd never go out with him if he woke up a subject and ruined one of her experiments.

Elmer didn't see anyone, so he entered the lab and looked around. All the equipment was turned off; though he did see light from Lona's office in the back, and he heard some sounds from inside. He decided to take a peek around the corner in case she was with a subject, that way he wouldn't be intruding; which Lona hated.

He peeked into the office, then quickly pulled back in shock. This couldn't be happening; she couldn't do that to him. He thought about looking again, then he thought about bursting in and confronting Lona; but he just turned away and left. Behind him, on the floor, lay a perfect red rose.

* * *

"I'll have another," Elmer said banging the glass down on the bar and shaking his head. Why did they always bang the glass down on the bar in the movies? That was really getting loud. Elmer started to sway a little as the bartender picked up the bottle from the shelf. 

"Do you really think you should have another," he asked looking at Elmer.

"Yeah, one more, then I'm going back to the hospital and giving her a piece of my mind," Elmer said leaning a little too heavily on the bar for support.

"I don't think you should be driving like this," the bartender said.

"I'm not going to drive," Elmer said wagging his finger at the bartender. "I'm going to walk back to the hospital. It'll give me a little time to think of what I'm going to say."

The bartender shrugged and poured Elmer another drink. "Your funeral," he said.

* * *

Lona put on a lab coat and walked out of her office to make sure she didn't leave any equipment running. Not seeing anything still on she turned back to the office, then stopped. She thought she saw something on the floor. 

Lona walked over and picked it up. It was a rose. "Who would leave a rose on the floor," Lona said to herself walking back to the office. As she got into the light she twirled the rose in her fingers admiring its beauty. "Who would leave a magnificent…"

Lona stopped. She looked toward the office and then the rose. "Elmer," she whispered. "Oh, no, Elmer."

* * *

As Elmer was walking back to the hospital, he wiped a tear away from his eye. He couldn't get Lona out of his head; he couldn't get that awful, stupid image out of his head. He thought if he drank enough he could forget, but it didn't work. 

"Boy is she going to get it," Elmer said to himself. "When I get back to the hospital, she's going to get a piece of my mind." He continued on, stumbling through another intersection and almost walking into the Kingdom Hospital ambulance.

"Danny is that who I think it is," Ollie asked.

"Isn't that Elmer," Danny said watching Elmer stumble through the intersection. "Boy does he look wasted. I don't think I've ever seen him drunk before."

"That's because his old man wouldn't let him drink."

Elmer turned to the right, more by accident than by intent, and started across the intersection, ignoring the 'Don't Walk' sign.

"He's crossing against the light," Danny said. "We should stop him before…"

That's when Danny and Ollie saw the tractor trailer.

* * *

Hook was standing in ER looking around for Chris. He thought he saw her heading for the ER. "I must have been mistaken," he thought to himself. 

"Hook to ER, shtadt," Otto's voice boomed over the speaker. "Hook to ER, shtadt," Otto repeated.

Hooked turned and looked through the glass window into the security room, where Otto was sitting. "Otto, I'm already in ER," he said to himself, putting his hands on his hips. Hook watched Otto get up and walk out of the security room, apparently looking for him.

"Otto," Hook called out, "over here."

"There you are," Otto said walking over to Hook. "I got a message from the ambulance. They have an accident victim. He was hit by a truck. They should be here soon. They said I should get you to the ER, but they didn't say why."

"Probably just another head trauma case Otto," Hook said. "Why else would they call for me to be in the ER. There's the ambulance now."

* * *

Mary stood in the ER aside of Antubis, both unnoticed by everyone. 

"Is there anything you can do to help him, Antubis," she asked.

"No," Antubis replied simply.

"Why not?"

Antubis turned and walked away.

"Antubis," Mary said watching Antubis walk away.

* * *

The hospital doors opened and Danny and Ollie pushed the stretcher with their patient into the ER. "You're not going to believe this one Hook," Danny said. 

Hook pulled out his pen light and checked for pupil responsiveness, then realized who he was looking at. "Otto," Hook said turning to him, "page Louis to the ER right now."

Otto stood there in shock for a moment, then ran to the security office.

"Hook," Elmer said weakly.

"What is it Elmer," Hook asked turning back to Elmer.

"Tell Lona… I… I…."

(to be continued)


	2. Chapter 2: Lona

"The rumors flew, but nobody knew how much she blamed herself..."

Whiskey Lullaby

* * *

Chris and Hook walked into the Kingdom Hospital lobby in silence. Hook was wearing a black suit instead of his usual hospital garb. Chris was wearing a simple, yet elegant, dark green dress. She was holding a handkerchief in her hand and her eyes were slightly puffy and red from crying.

"I should give you your handkerchief back," Chris said looking at the handkerchief, not quite ready to look at Hook.

"That's o.k.," Hook said. "You can give it back later. You might still need it."

"Thanks," she said, still clutching it. "It was a beautiful service."

"Yes, it was."

"Louis did a wonderful job. What he said was truly beautiful. Elmer…," Chris started and then stopped as the tears started to well up and she tried to hold them back.

"I know," Hook said putting his arm around Chris' shoulder. "This place won't be the same without Elmer."

"No, it won't," Chris said sniffling.

"Have you seen Lona?"

"I think I saw her at the service, but I'm not sure. It's like she didn't want anyone to know she was there. Why?"

"She seemed extremely upset when I talked to her."

"That's because she cared for Elmer. Even though she didn't want to admit it, she really cared for him, she was just afraid."

"No, it's more than that," Hook said. "The last time I talked to her, she was upset, but I think I said something that made it worse; but I don't know why."

"What did you say," Chris asked with a puzzled look.

"Before Elmer died he said something, something he wanted me to tell Lona. It seemed to really upset her, but I don't know why. I wasn't sure I should tell her, but it's what Elmer wanted."

"What was it?"

"He said to tell Lona that he forgave her."

"Forgave her for what?"

"I don't know, before I could ask she started crying and ran away. Then I was paged for an emergency surgery and had to leave. I haven't been able to ask her because I haven't seen her since then."

"Couldn't you have gone after her?"

"No. If I hadn't gone right to surgery, my patient would be dead now, and I haven't seen her since then. I'm not even sure I should ask. That might just make it worse."

"Maybe she'd feel better talking to me."

"Maybe, I have to go; I have patients I have to see. I'll see you later."

"Later," Chris said as Hook walked away. As she watched Hook walk away she couldn't help but think of Lona, wondering what was going on. Perhaps she should go find Lona and see if she could help.

* * *

"I'll have another," Lona said putting her glass down on the bar upside down.

"Are you driving," the bartender asked picking up the bottle.

"No, just drowning a painful memory; but it doesn't seem to be working."

"It usually doesn't," the bartender said. "Or, if it does, it only works for a little while. The memories always come back, especially in your dreams."

"Dreams," Lona said with a huff. "'What dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil…'"

The bartender shrugged then went to tend to other customers. Lona sat there staring into her drink. Dreams, she thought, she wouldn't be having any of those anytime soon. Elmer did. Elmer was the best subject in her…

"That's it," Lona suddenly exclaimed. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before."

* * *

"Hook," Louis called out, causing Hook to stop and turn around.

"Hi Louis, that was a beautiful memorial," Hook said.

"Thanks. Have you seen Lona? I've been looking for her."

"I haven't seen her recently, though Chris said she thought she saw Lona at the funeral. Why?"

"She was at the service, but I didn't see her before she left. I just wanted to thank her for the flowers."

"Have you tried the sleep lab, she might be there," Hook said mentally kicking himself. Flowers, he forgot to send flowers. He'd have to talk to Chris; hopefully Chris sent something with both their names on it.

"That's the first place I looked, she wasn't there, and the lab was locked."

"If I see her I'll let her know you'd like to talk to her."

"Thanks," Louis said shaking Hook's hand, "and thanks for being there, too."

"Of course Louis."

* * *

Lona unlocked the door to the sleep lab and quickly slipped in, closing and locking the door behind her. If only she had remembered to lock the door a couple days ago. She started booting up the computers and powering up the machinery.

"Why didn't I think of this before," she asked herself. "If Elmer's still out there somewhere I should be able to reach him through the dream state. If not him, I should at least be able to tap into my own memories of Elmer."

Lona opened the drug cabinet and took out two ampoules. She set them on a cart along with two needles. She pushed the cart over to the machinery.

"Either way, this should work."

She started setting up the machinery and the computer program. All the settings had to be just right. She was going to have to go into a very deep dream state for this. After making all the proper adjustments, Lona went back over the settings a made a few final changes. Out of habit she hit the record button, and then walked over to the chair.

She opened a package of alcohol wipes she kept handy and wiped her arm, sterilizing it. She picked up the first ampoule and inserted the needle. She started drawing out he liquid into the syringe. She had to get the mixture just right.

Sitting down in the chair, Lona injected herself with the first drug, then capped and disposed of the syringe in the hazardous waste bin. She repeated the process with the second syringe and ampoule.

There, everything was done, now all she had to do was wait and let the drugs start working. It wasn't long before she could feel the drugs taking effect. She could feel her consciousness starting to slip away. Suddenly, just before she faded from consciousness, she realized she hadn't accounted for the alcohol. As her last thought, she wondered what effect the alcohol would have.

Mary watched Lona starting to slip into unconsciousness. She turned to look at Antubis.

"Antubis, we need to help her," she said, "there's something wrong."

"There's nothing I can do," Antubis said plainly.

"We need to help her."

"There's nothing I can do," Antubis repeated leaving the room.

* * *

Hook stepped off the elevator in the basement. The sleep lab was probably the only lab that benefited from not having windows, that and the morgue he couldn't help but think as he walked down the corridor to the sleep lab.

"I guess Lona's in," he said to himself noticing a light shining from under the door.

He tried the handle, but the door was locked. He tried the handle again, just to make sure, but the door remained locked. He had a bad feeling about this, so he pulled out his keychain. He flipped through the keys till he got to the pass key he copied from John B. Goode. Hook didn't even want to think about what this cost him, but it was worth it.

Hook opened the door and entered the lab. He looked around the lab and could just make out the legs of someone sitting in one of the chairs with the equipment aside of it running; other than that, the lab looked deserted. He started walking toward the person in the chair.

"Lona, is that you," he called out to her. "Lona?"

Hook got to the chair and saw that it was Lona. It looked like she was sleeping; but he still had the feeling that something was wrong. Why was the door locked? He picked up her arm by the wrist and tried to take a pulse. Hook quickly grabbed the phone and dialed into the intercom.

"Code Blue in the sleep lab. This is Dr. Hook, I need…"

(to be continued)


	3. Chapter 3: Old Kingdom

"...the angels sang a whiskey lullaby…"

-- Whiskey Lullaby

* * *

Lona opened her eyes slowly. Things didn't seem right. She felt groggy, out of place. Maybe it was the drugs, maybe it was the alcohol, perhaps it was the combination, she thought. 

"That was stupid," she said to herself. "I should have waited until the alcohol wore off to try the machine. All that, and nothing happened."

She looked around the room she was in. It looked and felt cold, unused. There were a couple tables, two of which had dead, almost mummified bodies on them.

"I was in my lab," she said to herself, putting a hand to her aching head. "This looks like a morgue, but it's not the Kingdom Hospital morgue. Did they think I was dead? But why not put me in the Kingdom Hospital morgue, and why do I still have my clothes? This doesn't make sense. I have to find someone."

Lona walked over to the door she thought was the exit and opened it revealing a hallway. On the outside was a sign that said 'Morgue'.

"Well, at least I was right about two things," she said to no one. "That was the door out, and this is a morgue. Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better," she said nervously looking around.

Lona stepped out of the morgue and looked around the hallway. The hallway was dimly lit and looked just as unused as the morgue. It seemed dusty, dirty, grimy. She looked to the left and the right; the hallway seemed to go on forever in either direction.

"Well," she said decidedly, "all I have to do is pick a direction and stick with it, and eventually I'll get somewhere."

She looked left, and then right again; decided that left looked more appealing (which was definitely a relative term under these conditions) and started walking that way.

* * *

Hook and Chris stood aside of each other outside the funeral home. Everyone else had already left, either to go home, or to go to the cemetery for the burial. The two of them stood together, and yet alone. 

"Thanks for the help," Chris said breaking the silence.

"Of course, Lona was a good friend."

"Did anyone ever figure out what happened?"

"Well, the autopsy discerned the cause of death, but as to what brought it on or why, I guess we'll never know. She was obviously running an experiment; something must have gone wrong."

"I just don't understand, what was she trying to do? What was so important?"

"I guess we'll never know," Hook said putting his arm around her. "It's time to go to the cemetery. We should be there."

"Did I mention that I managed to get the plot next to Elmer's for Lona. I think she'd like that."

"No, you left that part out; though I'm sure they'd both have wanted it that way."

* * *

Lona felt like she'd been walking for hours. There was no way to know for certain how long it had been, she'd discovered that even though she had her watch, it wasn't working. 

"It can't have been that long," she said to herself. "I'm not even hungry. If I'd really been down here for hours, I'd be hungry by now. If only I could find an elevator or stairs even."

She kept walking down the corridor, looking for a way out; examining each of the doors she passed trying to figure out where she was. As she passed one door, the sign caught her attention; it said 'Pain Room'.

"Pain room," Lona said to herself questioningly. "That doesn't sound like someplace I'd want to be. Why would a hospital have a pain room?"

As she continued on she passed by two figures in the shadows unnoticed by her. The two figures, one a small girl, the other a large furry anteater, watched her as she walked along the hallway.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help her," Mary asked her furry friend.

"No, nothing," he replied and turned and started walking away.

"Antubis, she needs help."

"We can't help her."

* * *

At the burial, Hook was the first to step forward and take a hand of dirt. He stepped over to the grave and sprinkled the dirt on top of the coffin. Chris was right behind him. When she had sprinkled the dirt over the coffin she reached out and took Hook's hand. They started to walk back to Hook's car. 

No one seemed to notice a shadowy figure watching from a short distance off, standing beneath a nearby willow tree. He had stood there watching during the entire service without making a noise, seemingly unnoticed by everyone. He watched as everyone left the grave and still he waited.

When everyone had left, he slowly shook his head and faded away as if he had never been there. A silent, ghostly mourner who had been unseen by everyone.

* * *

Lona continued down the corridors. By now all the corridors had begun to look alike. There weren't any markings on the walls to let her know where she was or the way out. She came upon another door, just another door among the countless she had already walked by. The sign on this door read 'Morgue'. 

"This can't be," she said to herself. "This can't be the same door. If it is I've been walking in circles."

She opened the door and walked inside. The room looked the same. The tables, the two dead bodies, everything looked exactly the same. This was the room she started in some unknown time ago.

Lona sat down on the floor and started to cry. This had been a waste of time, she'd gotten nowhere, all that walking and she ended up right back where she started. There was no way out of here. She was trapped.

As Lona sat there crying, the doorway started glowing. Light started pouring through the doorway, more and more light. The light quickly grew bright enough to get Lona's attention. She turned and looked into the light. It was bright, but for some reason it didn't hurt to look at it.

"Lona," she heard a familiar voice call to her. "Lona."

"Elmer," she called back, "Elmer, is that you; but you're dead, I was at your funeral. It can't be you, you're dead."

"Lona," the voice continued, "I'm here for you Lona."

"No, this is just a dream. That explains everything. I'm still hooked up to the machine. This is all part of the dream. Elmer's dead and this is a dream."

"Lona," Elmer continued slowly appearing in the doorway as a faint image, "this isn't a dream, you're trapped here. You're stuck between worlds. I'm here to free you, take my hand."

"No, this is just a dream. You can't be Elmer because Elmer's dead. If you're Elmer that means I'm dead, and I'm not dead, just dreaming. I shouldn't have used that much of an injection."

"Lona, it's me, Elmer. If you don't take my hand you'll be trapped here. Lona please, just take my hand, please."

"NO," Lona yelled beginning to rock back and forth. "You're not Elmer, you're a dream. This is all just a dream. Nothing's real. I'll wake up and all of this will be gone. None of this is real, you're not real."

"Please Lona," Elmer pleaded, "take my hand. I love you."

"Elmer, you're not real."

"I'm real Lona, I'm here to save you, you're trapped here. Please, take my hand, come with me. I love you."

"Elmer…."

"Lona, just take my hand, please."

Lona stopped rocking back and forth and turned to look at Elmer.

"Elmer," she said weakly.

"Lona."

Lona lifted her hand and reached out to Elmer.

(to be continued?)


End file.
